Golf scoring devices



Aug. 15, 1961 E. SHELL cow SCORING DEVICES Filed March 17, 1960ATTOP/Yfy u m5 m United States Patent 2,996,247 GOLF SCORING DEVICESEdward Shell, 24798 Donald, Detroit, Mich. Filed Mar. 17, 1960, Ser. No.15,747 2 Claims. (Cl. 235-114) This invention relates to scoringdevices, and in particular to an improved and greatly simplified pockettype golf scoring device.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensiveand rugged scoring device constructed of a minimum number of parts whichare readily and economically assembled into a convenient manuallyoperated scorer that positively maintains the registered score for eachof 18 holes of golf until such a time as it is reset to a zero.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent by reference to thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a pocket type golf scoring device embodying theinvention, portions being broken away successively to better illustratethe construction thereof.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the golf scoring device shown inFIG. 1.

FIG.'3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3of FIG. 2, the scoring element being removed from one of the walls inwhich scoring elements are journaled.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged top plan view of one of the scoring elementsemployed.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross sectional view through the fixed ratchetteeth over which the resilient tongue of the scoring element travels andbetween which the said tongue element becomes positioned to maintain thescoring element in a zero or any scoring position to which it may bemanually turned.

" Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters referto like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, the golfscoring device disclosed for the purpose of illustrating the inventionis formed of molded and sheet plastic elements only, and consists of amolded housing 20 comprising an upper housing element 21, a lowerhousing element 22 with a partition 23 disposed therebetween. The upperand lower housing elements 21 and 22 are identical except for theindicia carried thereby. The top of the upper housing element 21 ispreferably marked as shown from 1 to 9 inclusive above the centers ofthe upper scoring elements 30 hereinafter described, and the lowerhousing element is marked (not shown) from 10 to 18 inclusive below thecenters of the lower scoring elements 30.

Each of the upper and lower housing elements 21 and 22 are provided withnine cylindrical wells 24 arranged laterally and longitudinally anddiagonally adjacent each other in a suitable pattern preferably as shownin FIGS. 1 and 3. To save space, the Wells 24 may overlap slightlyleaving an opening 240 therebetween. However, it is important that thisoverlapping of the wells 24 be limited so that the scoring elements 30in adjacent wells 24 will not contact each other.

Centrally located in the bottom of each of the wells 24 is a shortannular stub shaft 25 having on the top thereof, in the particularembodiment of the invention shown, ten evenly radially disposed andevenly circumferentially spaced truncated ratchet teeth 26 with slopingsides 27 and a valley 28 therebetween, as best shown in FIGS. 3

2 and 7. The bottom of each well 24 is provided with a suitable scorereading aperture 29 therein aligned with one of the valleys 28 of thestub shaft 25 through which any registered score may be read.

Each scoring element 30 is formed of molded plastic and consists of anannular disc 300 of substantial thickness incorporating an integral thinflexible tongue 301 cantilevering from one side of the annular wall 304of the central annulus 302 of the said disc 300 and extending to a pointadjacent but spaced from the opposite side of the said annular wall 304.The said tongue 301 as viewed in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 has at the outer endthereof a depending wedge shaped pawl 303 formed to enter valleys 28between ratchet teeth 26 on the top of the annular stub shaft 25 whenthe scoring element is rotated. The bottom of each scoring element 30 asviewed in FIG. 6 has numerical scoring indicia S, preferably zero, 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 evenly spaced therearound, the zero indicia beingshown in central alignment with the tongue 301 and pawl 303 thereof.

The periphery of each scoring element 30 is preferably scalloped,knurled or otherwise roughened at 305 to admit of easy and positivefinger turning thereof. The outer periphery of the housing elements 21and 22 of the housing 20 are notched out at 200 adjacent each scoringelement 30 to provide finger access to the scalloped edges of thescoring elements 30. This notching out is preferably accomplished in themolding of the upper and lower housing elements 21 and 22. It should benoted that the partition 23 is not scalloped out adjacent the scoringelements 30. This permits only one of vertically aligned scoringelements 30 to be manipulated without accidental movement of the other.

To assemble a scoring device embodying the invention, the upper housingelement 21 is placed smooth side Down in a suitable rectangular fixture,not shown, with the wells 24 thereof Up. A scoring element 30 isjournaled in the bottom of each well 24 on the annular stub shaft 25 inthe bottom thereof with the numerical indicia thereon Down, and with thepawl 303 of the tongue 301 downwardly disposed in a valley 28 betweenthe ratchet teeth 26. In such position, the inner annular wall 304 ofthe scoring element 30 is journaled on the outer peripheral wall 250 ofthe stub shaft 25. The partition 23 is placed on the bottom (top) of theupper housing 21 and secured thereto by cementing with acetate or othercementitious medium previously spotted on a plurality of the lands L ofthe said housing element 21.

The lower housing 22 is assembled in a like or similar manner, andacetate or other cementitious material is spotted on the lands L of thesaid housing element. The sub-assernbly consisting of the upper housingelement 21 and the partition 23 is then turned over, and is registeredwith and pressed on the lower housing element 22 until the saidcementitious material on the lands L of the lower housing element 22 andthe partition 23 already fixed to the upper housing element 21 arefirmly fixed together.

Obviously, other methods of assembly of golf scoring devices embodyingthe invention may be employed. The foregoing assembly procedure isdescribed herein for the purpose of indicating how easily andinexpensively golf scoring devices of the invention may be assembled.

The simplicity of the device is its virtue. Only eighteen identical gangmolded scoring elements 30 are required, and they can be placed on thestub shafts 25 of the upper and lower elements 21 and 22 with a minimumof time and effort. The upper and lower housing elements 21 and 22 areidentical except that the indicia on the upper housing elementrepresents golf holes 1-9 inclusive and the indicia on the lower housingelement represents golf holes 10-18 inclusive. A pawl 303 on a. flexibletongue 301 is molded integral with each scoring element 30 while ratchetteeth 26 and a stub shaft 25 are molded centrally within the severalwells 24 of the upper and lower housing elements 21 and 22.

W Golf scoring devices of the invention are not only inexpensive toproduce and assemble, but they are compact andv accurate. The elementsthereof are rugged, light in weight, and will give years of satisfactoryservice.

It is obvious that a scoring device of the invention may include onlyone housing element 21 with the required number of wells 24 therein, therequired number of scoring elements 34), and a partition 23 which wouldserve as a base.

Although the invention has been disclosed and claimed as a golf scoringdevice, it obviously may be modified for other uses. t is the intentionthat many changes may be made in the size, shape, arrangement and detailof the various elements of the invention without departing from the.spirit and scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A golf scoring device comprising a housing consisting of an upperhousing element, a lower housing element and a partition therebetween,each said housing element being structurally identical and molded ofplastic of substantial thickness having a plurality of cylindrical Wellsformed therein, the sides of each said housing element being scallopedout opposite each said well, an annular stub shaft formed centrally inthe bottom of each said cylindrical wel extending upwardly therefrom, aplurality of radially disposed ratchet teeth formed in equally spacedrelationship around the top of said annular stub shaft having slopingsides and valleys therebetween, an annular scoring element journaled ineach well on the said annular stub shaft in the bottom thereof, the saidannular scoring elements each including a thin flexible tongue formedintegral therewith and cantilevered therefrom from one side of thecentral wall of said annular scoring element extending diametricallyacross the central annulus thereof with its free end spaced from theopposite side of said central wall, and a wedge shaped pawl dependingfrom said flexible tongue adjacent the free end thereof formed toregister with the valleys between the ratchet teeth formed in the top ofsaid annular stub shaft and ride over said ratchet teeth when the saidscoring element is manually rotated on said stub shaft,

each housing having a score reading aperture through the bottom of eachWell, each said scoring element including numerical indicia on theannular face thereof adjacent the bottom of said Wells spaced evenlytherearound and visible through the score reading aperture in the bottomof its well, each said housing element having indicia thereon oppositeeach scoring element therein indicating the number of the golf holescored thereby.

2. A scoring device comprising a housing consisting of an upper housingelement and a lower housing plate serving as a base, said housingelement being molded of plastic of substantial thickness having aplurality of cylindrical wells formed therein, the sides of said housingelement being scalloped out opposite each said well, an annular stubshaft formed centrally in the bottom of each said cylindrical wellextending upwardly therefrom, a plurality of radially disposed ratchetteeth formed in equally spaced relationship around the top of saidannular stub shaft having sloping sides and valleys therebetween, anannular scoring element journaled in each well on the said annular stubshaft in the bottom thereof, the said annular scoring elements eachincluding a thin flexible tongue formed integral therewith andcantilevered therefrom from one side of the central wall of said annularscoring element extending diametrically across the central annulusthereof with its free end spaced from the opposite side of said centralwall, and a wedge shaped pawl depending from said flexible tongueadjacent the free end thereof formed to register with the valleysbetween the ratchet teeth formed in the top of said'annul-ar stub shaftand ride over said ratchet teeth when the said scoring element ismanually rotated on said stub shaft, said housing having a score readingaperture through the bottom of each well, each said scoring elementincluding numerical indicia on the annular face thereof adjacent thebottom of said wells spaced evenly therearound and visible through thescore reading aperture in the bottom of its well, each said housingelement having indicia thereon opposite each scoring element thereinindicating the item scored thereby.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

